Somnath Chatterjee made Indian democracy richer, says PM Modi

As the nation mourns the passing away of former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee on Monday morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his condolence message that Chatterjee made Indian democracy richer.

"Anguished by his demise. My thoughts are with his family and supporters," Modi wrote on Twitter, describing Chatterjee as a stalwart of Indian politics.

"He (Chatterjee) was an excellent Parliamentarian, whose long years as a member of the House, enriched our Parliamentary traditions. My condolences to his family and supporters in this hour of grief," Shah tweeted.

The former Lok Sabha speaker passed away at the Belle Vue hospital in Kolkata on Monday morning following multiple organ failure.

A 10-time Lok Sabha MP, Chatterjee was the Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 2004 to 2009.